Articles and Information from GA Foods

While your patients are in your care, you provide them with quality nutrition care. But, what happens when they go home?

Many transitional care plans may be missing an important piece – nutrition care. Providing access to food allows the frail and elderly to regain their strength and energy faster. Proper nutrition for those at risk improves patient outcomes following surgery or hospitalization.

When patients go into the hospital, one thing they may not expect is to leave malnourished. Unfortunately, that is what often occurs toone-third of patients admittedto hospitals. Malnutrition is not always recognized and often goes untreated during hospitalization. Weight loss and inadequate nutritional intake can delay the healing and recovery process. This may lead to more challenging recoveries, and in many cases,relapse and readmission.

Research shows that nutritional intervention has a positive impact on patient outcomes. Benefits include:

25 percent reduction in pressure ulcer incidence

14 percent fewer overall complications

28 percent decrease in avoidable readmissions

A 2-day reduction in average length of stay

Disease-associated malnutrition is a common and widespread problem. Older adults are especially at risk. Clinical evidence shows that solid, well-balanced nutrition is essential to health. The effects of poor nutritional status are evident in those who were recently hospitalized and recovering from an acute illness. Malnutrition in the frail and elderly is an important area of concern. Poor outcomes related to malnutrition may occur:

Increased risk of pressure ulcers

Impaired wound healing

Increased infection rate

Muscle wasting

Functional loss, resulting in more falls

Longer hospital stays

Higher readmission rates

Higher treatment costs

Increased mortality

Providing access to food allows the frail and elderly to regain their strength and energy faster. Proper nutrition for those at risk improves patient outcomes following surgery or hospitalization. New researchshowed that patients and their caregivers want to feel cared for and cared about by their medical providers.

Providing home-delivered meals will show you care about your patients after they leave the hospital. Post-discharge meals significantly impact both short-term recovery results and the long-term health of patients. You want your patients to have a perception of trust and feel they received excellent care. Provide them the peace of mind with home-delivered meals.

For more information, download our ebook, The Impact of Nutrition Care and Patient Outcomes.

Written by
Mary O'Hara
Mary O'Hara is the Healthcare Marketing Manager at GA Foods. Mary
communicates how nutrition plays a vital role in maintaining a healthy
lifestyle through blogs, emails, and presentations. She enjoys learning
new recipes and preparing healthy meals for her friends and family!